On August 3rd, four Bay Area institutions came together to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love. The San Francisco Giants and Oakland A's honored hometown favorites the Grateful Dead, and in turn the iconic band used the event to raise funds and awareness for the Seva Foundation. The Grateful Dead and Seva have a deep connection that goes back to the organization's early years, when they played Seva's first-ever benefit concert and raised seed money to help get the organization off the ground.

We are pleased and honored to announce that long-time Seva partner, Dr. Gullapalli N. Rao, Founder, Chairman and Director of the LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), has been inducted into the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Sugery's (ASCRS) Ophthalmology Hall of Fame.

One of our youngest – and most energetic! – supporters, 14-year-old Nikolas Toocheck, just completed a three-year quest to run a marathon in all 50 U.S. states to raise funds for Seva. Through his tireless efforts, Nik also raised the profile of Seva's work through news coverage in hometown papers from Vermont and New Hampshire to Kentucky and Mississippi to California, in addition to national outlets like Youth Runner Magazine and USA Today.

In a country working hard to stabilize and modernize, some rural Nepal citizens still spend three days traveling for healthcare services, including eye care. Establishing local, reliable eye care centers increases community stability and makes it possible for residents to access basic services.